personal
- 01 A2 Elementary
adj.belonging to or intended for one particular person rather than anyone else.
adj.pertaining to a specific individual; relating to or affecting a single person rather than a group.
Simple“Please keep your personal belongings with you at all times on the train.”
In context“The CEO insisted on giving the project his personal attention, despite having a capable team of managers to handle the daily operations.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
adj.relating to your private life, feelings, or secrets that you do not want to share with everyone.
adj.concerning an individual's private life, relationships, or emotions; often implies a need for discretion or privacy.
Simple“I don't like to answer personal questions about my family during job interviews.”
In context“The biographer struggled to balance the subject's professional achievements with the more sensitive personal details revealed in her private journals.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
adj.done by you yourself, rather than by someone else for you.
adj.carried out by the individual concerned without the use of an intermediary or representative.
Simple“The famous author made a personal appearance at the local bookstore.”
In context“The ambassador delivered a personal message from the president, emphasizing the importance of direct diplomatic engagement between the two nations.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.aimed at a person's character or appearance in an unkind or rude way.
adj.referring to an individual's character or conduct in a way that is intended to be offensive or insulting.
Simple“There is no need to get personal just because we disagree about the movie.”
In context“The debate turned ugly when one candidate began making personal attacks instead of addressing the policy issues at hand.”
Synonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.relating to the different 'persons' in grammar, like 'I', 'you', or 'he'.
adj.relating to the grammatical category of person, distinguishing between the speaker, the person addressed, and others.
Simple“In English, 'we' is a first-person plural personal pronoun.”
In context“The linguist noted that certain languages omit personal pronouns when the subject is clearly indicated by the verb ending.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'personal pronoun'.
Antonyms - 06 C1 Advanced
n.short advertisements in a newspaper or online where people look for partners or friends.
n.classified advertisements, typically in the plural, placed by individuals seeking romantic or social connections.
Simple“He decided to look through the personals to see if anyone shared his hobbies.”
In context“Before the rise of dating apps, the personals section of the local Sunday paper was a primary way for singles to meet.”
UsageAlmost always used in the plural form 'personals'.
Synonymsclassifiedsdating ads
personal vs personnel — Personal is an adjective for private matters, while personnel is a noun for a group of employees.
Usage personal life · personal protective · personal attacks
From Middle English personal, personele, from Anglo-Norman personel, personal, personell, Old French personal, personel, from Late Latin persōnālis (“of a person, personly”), equivalent to person + -al. Doublet of personnel.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.